They'd say Pearl go get your boots on, we've got a field to plow Girl put down that book you ain't got no time to read right now Mama she don't know the kind of visions that I see But my ticket to the world is the soul inside of me She'd go barefoot down to Beale street, she had no fancy shoes She's tell them she was 21 and got paid to sing the blues She'd crawl back into her window every night at 2:00 am And pray her daddy didn't come to steal her innocence again But finally she had her bus fare They never found out where she'd gone She left a note that said I'm goin' someplace To make this life a better home They'd say Pearl go get your boots on, we've got a field to plow Girl put down that book you ain't got no time to read right now Mama she don't know the kind of visions that I see
But my ticket to the world is the soul inside of me I met her in a lonely church one cloudy afternoon She was singin' softly to the Lord and fillin' up the room I said I've seen you on the big stage, lights and glory all around Pearl what brings you to this place, she said it's my hometown And I need just like the next one to remember who I was So I've come back to find forgiveness To see my past through eyes of love They'd say Pearl go get your boots on, we've got a field to plow Girl put down that book you ain't got time to read right now Mama she don't know the kind of visions that I see But my ticket to the world is the soul inside of me ( Soul inside of me, Soul inside of me, Soul inside of me ) Pearl, Soul inside of me